Cherry stoner



July 26, 1932. s, EBERSOLE CHERRY v:STONEIR' Filed April 12, 1929 IINVENTOR 660- 6. fer-Ja/e ATTORNEY Patented July 26, 1932 -UNETE ST GEORGE S. EBERSOLE, ELIZABETHTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WEIGHTS- VILLE HARDWARE 00., OF WRIGHTSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA CHERRY Application filed April 12,

The present invention relates to cherry stoners and the like and more particularly to an improved feeding mechanism therefor.

In preserving fruit such as cherries it customary to remove the seed prior to the preserving or canning operation. This is sometimes done by hand, but more generally by means of devices used for that purpose. The latter is more sanitary and much easier. A number of devices have been marketed forthis purpose, to which cherries are delivered one at a time. While this can be done by hand, it is usually accomplished by permitting the cherries to roll into a restricted neck or throat and by permitting one cherry to move forward individually to the stoning mechanism. Considerable difficulty is encountered with such feeding devices because of the failure of the cherries to move into the neck. Two or more cherries reach the neck at the same time and become braced against the entrance to the neck and close it completely. It is'then necessary for the operator manually to correct the position of these cherries. In doing this, the operator has to stop the mechanism or else run a chance of getting his fingers caught and injured by the moving parts adjacent thereto. The present invention aims to overcome these difficulties and to provide an inexpensive cherry stoner completely automatic in its operation and more easily operated.

A11 object of the present invention is to eliminate the difliculties of prior art constructions as noted above.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved feeding mechanism for cherry stoners adapted to prevent clogging of the cherries in passing from the storage receptacle to the stoner.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cherry stone! entirely automatic adapted to feedcherries one at a time to the stoning mechanism.

' Another object ofthe invention is to provide an improved feeding mechanism adapted to agitate the cherries prior to each feeding operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved feeding mechanism adapts'ronnn ieee. Serial No. 354,462.

ed to kick the cherries adjacent the stoner prior to each feeding operation to prevent clogging of the cherries at the neck of the receptacle for holding a quantity thereof.

Other and further objects of the invention will be obvious upon an understanding of he illustrated embodiment about to be de- ;-.criben, or will be indicated in the appended claims; and various advantages not referred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employment of the invention in practice.

A preferred embodiment of the invention has been chosen for purposes of illustration and description and is shown in the accompanying drawing,.wherein v Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a cherry stoner partly in section;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevational View illustrating in detail the agitating mechanism; and i Fig. 4 is a fragmentary top plan view illustrating details of the agitator.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown a bracket 1 adapted to be attached to a table or shelf by means of screw 2 in the usual manner, the upper end of the bracket is attached by means of the bolt 4: and wing nut 5 to the cherry stoner. The surfaces between the bracket and the cherry stoner are preferably serrated so that the wing nut may be loosened and the stoner adjusted about the bolt 4 as a pivot. V

he cherry stoner proper may comprise a pair of castings 6 held together by the bolt 7 at the top thereof and by the bolt 8 on the bottom of the receptacle; There is a recess intermediate the two ends of the casting. 6 adjacent the bolt 7 to accommodate a fork 9 which extends vertically downward between the two castings to engage and remove the stones from the cherries presented to it. The vertical parts of the two castings 6 form a guideway adapted tor-eceive a carriage 10 having extensions adapted to it in the guideways 11 in the vertical parts of the castings and having an extension 14 extending through the vertical slot 15.

' On one side ofone of the castings 6 there is pivotally mounted a cam wheel 17 having a handle 18. It will be noted that the cam wheel is eccentrically mounted by means of a screw 19 and that it has a cam surface 20 adapted to engage into the hook-shaped extension 14 and thereby give to the carriage 10 a positive motion in both an upward and downward direction to reciprocate the carriage 1O vertically. The carriage preferably comprises a seat 21 having an aperture 22 in its center through which the cherry stones are adapted to be pressed. The carriage, when it its lowest position, is adjacent the neck 24L of the receptacle 25 adapted to hold a supply of cherries. As the carriage moves upwardly, a cherry is presented to the fork 9 which pierces the cherry and presses the stone through the aperture 22. As the carriage descends, the seeded cherry remains on the fork until the slotted member 26, mount-ed considerably above the carriage and positioned so that in its lowermost position it is just below the end of the fork, engages and pulls the cherry off the fork and permits it to drop.

In order to prevent the cherry from falling back to its original seat 21 and obstructing the passage of a new cherry thereon, there is provided an oscillatory tongue 27 pivoted to the two castings 6 at 28 and held normally in a vertical position by means of a spring 29 seated between a small projection on the castings 6 and a similar projection on the extension 30 from the tongue 27. The upper end of the tongue is a flat, horizontal surface 31. In order to move the tongue out of the path of the carriage as it moves upwardly-toward the pitting fork, there is provided on the cam wheel 17 a cam 32 adapted to engage a projection 34: on the tongue 27. By means of this cam the tongue, during the upward movement of the carriage, is oscillated outwardly and is permitted by a dwell in the cam to snap into position under the influence of the spring 29 just as the slotted member 26 passes the end of the pitting member to remove the cherry therefrom. Thus, the cherries are dropped onto the surface 31 which, when oscillated, drops them into a suitable con tainer positioned below the stoner.

The cherries may be fed to the mechanism byhand, but preferably it is desirable to put a quantity in the receptacle 25 sothat they may roll down and be fed one after another. If the neck of the receptacle leading to the center is sufficiently wide, more than one cherry will be placed upon the carriage, which prevents operation of the stoner. With a neck sufficiently small to prevent the passage of more than one cherry, there is dif ficulty in getting the cherries to pass through theneck due to the fact that they am one against another in entering the neck. This is also true to a smaller extent where the neck islarger. The situation is aggravated due to the fact that the cherries are, to a certain extent, sticky and do not slip by each other as readily as they otherwise would.

There is provided herein an extension 36 on the side of the tongue 27 having an aperture 37 therein adapted to receive an L-shaped member 38. The end of the long side of the L extends through the aperture 37 and has a cotter pin 39 at its end and also has a projection 40 a substantial distance from the end of the member adapted to form with the cotter pin a slidable connection between the memberand the tongue.

The other end of the L extends through a slot 41 in the receptacle partially across the neck thereof, so that the cam 32 pulls the L-shaped member 38 gradually toward the carriage to facilitate the feeding of a single cherry thereto. By reason of the slidable connection described above, the L-shaped member'does not move toward the carriage until the carriage has reached substantially its lowermost position. In other words, there is no effort to feed a cherry until the carriage is in the proper position. Also, by reason of the slidable member, the spring 29, when the dwell of the cam 32 is reached, is

adapted to give a very short but sturdy kick to the L-shaped member which drives the cherries backward along the receptacle and permits them to rollforward in a more orderly manner. At the same time, the L'-shaped extension may prevent additional cherries from passing through the neck. The neck is closed by means of the. vertical surface 42 extending downwardly from the seat 21,during the upward movement of the carriage.

In the operation of the device, a quantity of cherries is placed in the receptacle 25, which may be of any desired size. Thereafter, the handle 18 is utilized'to rotate the cam wheel 17 which raises the carriage 10 vertically and presses a cherry on the seat 21 against the pitting fork 9 to press the stone through the aperture 22 therein, the cherry remaining on the fork until the downward movement of the carriage, when it is engaged by the slotted member 26 to be removed there from. Just prior to the removal of the cherry, the extension 34 on the tongue 27 drops into the dwell on the cam 32 to permit the spring 29 to force the tongue 27 under the pitting prong to catch the seeded cherry and on further rotation of the cam wheel 17'the tongue is tilted, as shown in Fig. 2, so thatthe cherry rolls off into a suitable receptacle. As the carriage approaches its seat, the spring 29 kicks the L-shaped member 38 suddenly rearwardly which drives the'cherries from the neck of the receptacle 25 so that they will roll backward in an orderly fashion and approach the neck one at a time. I11 the mean.- time, the end of the L-shaped member may engagea single cherry and urge it toward the seat, although it will be understood that, by

reason of the agitation caused by the sudden movement of the L-shaped member, it may be feasible and in some cases desirable to permit the cherries to feed themselves, the L-shaped member being relied upon solely to agitate them so that they will roll into the seat on the carriage. The sliding connection permits the L-shaped member to be connected directly with the oscillating tongue 27 Without necessitating a long stroke of the member. This decreases the cost and simplifies the mechanism. In such a construction, the cherries cannot become clogged and there is no necessity for attention on the part of the operator other than to keep the receptacle filled.

It will be seen that the present invention provides a very rugged construction adapted to automatically pit the stones from cherries successively without interruption and without attention from an operator.

There is no chance for the cherries to clog near the neck of the receptacle due to the fact that after the feeding of each cherry, the L-shaped member agitates the remaining cherries so that they approach the neck of the receptacle in single file. This eliminates the necessity of the operator Watching the cherries and assisting the feeding thereof; thereby minimizing the work of the operator and also minimizing the possibility of the operator getting his hand caught in the pitting mechanism. These and other advantages render the construction commerci-ally feasible and adaptable for many uses.

As various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts of the illustrated embodiment Without departing from the spirit of the invention, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. It will be understood also that the present invention is applicable to fruits other than cherries, hence the term cherries is used herein to include all similar fruits or other products Where seeding is desirable.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a receptacle for cherries having an outlet, a member adapted to engage the cherries adjacent said outlet, and a spring actuated trip for suddenly moving said member to agitate the cherries near said outlet.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a receptacle for cherries and the like having an outlet adapted to pass a cherry, a member extending partially across said receptacle adjacent said outlet, a cam mechanism for moving said member toward said outlet to facilitate the feeding of an individual cherry therethrough, and resilient means for rapidly returning said member to agitate the cherries adjacent said outlet.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of a receptacle fOlCllQIllOS and the like having an outlet, a restricted neck leading to said outlet, a member havingone end extending partially across said restricted neck, means slidably connected to the other end .of said member, and devices for actuating said means to move said member slowly forward at the time of feeding a cherry and to return said member rapidly to" agitate the cherries in said neck there after.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination of a receptacle for cherries and the like having an outlet, a restricted neck leading to said outlet, an L-shaped member having one end extending partially across the neck of the receptacle, means slidably connected to the other end of said member, mechanism adapted to move said L-shaped member through the interniediation of said means slowly forward to facilitate feeding a cherry, and spring actuated means for kicking said member suddenly rearward to agitate the cherries and prevent clogging thereof.

5. In a cherry stoner or the like, the combination of means for pitting the cherries, an oscillatory tongue for receiving the pitted cherry, a receptacle for a supply of cherries, a member having one end extending partially across said receptacle and having its other end attached to said tongue, whereby said member Will move slowly to facilitate feeding a cherry to the pitting mechanism, and spring actuated devices for kicking the member to agitate the cherries in the receptacle.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination of a pitting mechanism for cherries and the like, a receptacle for supplying cherries to said pitting mechanism, a member extending partially across said receptacle, cam actuated means for operating said pitting mechanism and for moving said member to facilitate feeding a cherry to the pitting mechanism, and spring actuated trip devices for kicking the cherries in said receptacle through the intermediation of said member.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination of a receptacle for cherries and the like, a member having one end extending laterally through the side of the receptacle,

means slidably connected to the other end 9. In a; device of the class described, the combination of a receptacle for cherries and the like, means extending into said receptacle adapted to engage the cherries therein, a ro- 6 tating cam means pivoted adjacent to said receptacle for moving said firstmeans suddenly to deliver cherries, and a spring member at tached to said first means for returning said firstmeans to its initial position, said spring 10 member being-fixed at one end.

10. In adevice of the class described, the combination of an inclined receptacle for cherries and the like, means extending transversely into said receptacle adapted to move 15the;cherries backward along the receptacle and to. permit them to roll forward in an orderly manner to prevent clogging of the re cep'tacle,a cam device for moving said means backward, and a spring member for return- 20 ing said means to agitate the cherries.

Signed by me-this 4th day of April, 1929.

' GEORGE S. EBERSOLE. 

